After Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ Prince Movie Is in the Works

Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to a number of Prince songs with the aim of creating a movie to emulate the success of the Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody, Yahoo! reports.

But, unlike the Freddie Mercury biopic, the new production will involve a fictional story inspired by classic tracks, after producers were said to have decided that Prince’s 1984 movie Purple Rain had “largely covered” the biographical approach.

Instead, Universal chairman Donna Langley “wanted to do something original and outside the box.” “Meetings have begun with potential writers and producers and execs are hoping the film can be something like Universal’s [Abba-themed] Mama Mia, with a completely original story where Prince’s music helps drive that narrative," the report noted. "Though the film isn’t a biopic, studios around town have been on the look for the next great musical after the success of Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Now the biggest-grossing biopic of all time, Bohemian Rhapsody has taken more than $540 million in box-office receipts, from a production budget of around $55 million, 31 days after its release. The figures dwarf those of the previous bestseller, Universal’s Straight Outta Compton, which earned $201 million worldwide in 2015. The movie’s success reflected on Queen, who enjoyed their highest album-chart placing in 38 years and saw the title track return to the singles chart for a rare third visit. They just confirmed a 2019 U.S. tour with singer Adam Lambert.